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Electronic Arts admits to using AI voices in NHL 27: 'This process allows us to bring more variety to the game'
EA says the AI voices were developed with "full consent and active collaboration" from in-game announcers John Buccigross and Darren Pang.
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Electronic Arts has copped to using "AI voice technology" in the upcoming NHL 27, saying that doing so will "bring more variety to the game" and allow it to react more quickly to changes and feedback.
The use of generative AI in NHL 27 was first reported by ESPN sportscaster John Buccigross, who also serves as the play-by-play man for EA's NHL series. "They're using some AI stuff now," he said on the Chirping Zebras Podcast last week (via IGN). "They played me some stuff back in my voice. It's like, wow, that's pretty good. If it means less work and the same check, I'll take it."
EA didn't respond to my inquiries about Buccigross' claim last week, but in a blog post shared today on the game's first update it confirmed that AI is in fact being used in the game.
"We’ve been following the discussion around the new commentary team and want to clarify our approach," EA wrote. "The broadcast is built on a direct and ongoing partnership with John Buccigross and Darren Pang. With their full consent and active collaboration, we are using AI voice technology to expand on the 50+ recording sessions they have already completed.
"This process allows us to bring more variety to the game, react faster to league changes, and incorporate player feedback more quickly. Update 1 is our first step in an ongoing commitment to improve authenticity, with fixes for player-name pronunciations and repetitive lines. We will continue to expand player and city-name coverage in future updates."
The comment about fixes reflects something else Buccigross related about the process: The AI is sometimes off.
"They were playing me back some of my AI voice, and they're playing it like, 'Score! And the crowd gets out of their chairs!'" he said. "I was like, no, they're not chairs. I know, AI, they look like a chair, but we call them seats. Little things like that, you gotta go back and listen because those words matter in sports."
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